Attack ~ Aufeinandertreffen
Attack ~ Aufeinandertreffen ( German: To Face Off ) is the fourth episode of the ''Elfen Lied'' anime series. Series directed by Mamoru Kanbe; created by Lynn Okamoto; produced by ARMS Corporation. Plot Nana states that she has come to take Lucy 'back home' to the Diclonius Research Institute, and ignores Lucy's threats, veiled and otherwise, though she is thrown off by Lucy's biased account of never having killed a person before (regarding only their kind of real people). Their battle begins with Lucy rapidly finding out that Nana's power should not be taken lightly; she is knocked down the stone stairwell and into the nearby graveyard. Lucy is enraged but concludes that Nana's vector range is simply longer than hers, with Nana vowing to punish her for Kurama's sake. Kouta and Yuka argue over her question of his feelings for her and about Nyu as well. Yuka ends up striking Kouta and running off, hating him for his lack of memories of her. Her mind flashes back to a slightly nightmarish remembrance of the funeral services held for Kouta's father and Kanae. She recalls relatives speaking of Kouta being in a state of shock, and realizes anew that it is Kouta, not herself, who needs pity. Nana holds Lucy fast against the stone slab of a grave marker, taunting her with how easy it would be to kill her until Lucy hurls other gravestones at Nana's position, though Nana's range still has her on the ropes. Mayu obtains bread scraps from a seaside merchant, claiming they are all for Wanta, and mentions in passing that she will turn fourteen the next day. Leaving, she runs into Yuka, who notes the bread scraps and becomes concerned. Mayu leaves quickly, and Yuka seems like she is about to go to the shop where Mayu had just been. Nana, realizing that Lucy will not return with her willingly, again brags of her greater range, only to have Lucy hurl objects from all over the graveyard at her, putting Nana on the defensive. The commotion causes the nearby Mayu to take notice while she eats the bread scraps. Lucy begins to press her advantage, at one point slamming Nana into the ground and blocking her attempt at an air attack. Mayu from a distance recognizes Lucy from her visit to Maple House and approaches. Nana moves to disable Lucy, but Mayu's arrival provides Lucy an opening, allowing her to slice off one of Nana's legs and the fingers of one hand. Mayu screams and is knocked away, while Lucy confidently stands over the wounded, weakened Nana, who begs her 'Papa' to come and save her. Nana's attempt at denial of her pain causes the sadistic Lucy to rip off one of her arms. She tries to escape and beg for mercy, but Lucy rips off her remaining arm and leg. Sniper shots prevent Lucy from finishing Nana, and the arrival of Kurama excites Nana enough to concentrate past her pain and use her vectors to disable Lucy's powers. Kurama walks up in the company of soldiers and calmly strides past Lucy to collect Nana, meeting Lucy's taunt with a blow to the face, stating that he doesn't care what Lucy does to him for it if it lessens Nana's pain. This attitude shocks Isobe and the soldiers watching, who wonder why she doesn't fight back. Trapped and powerless, Lucy flees, taking advantage of the fact that her enemies don't know she's powerless. Kurama comforts a Nana who weeps not from her pain, but the fear of no longer being useful to her 'Papa.' Yuka recalls the bakery shopkeeper, and asking about Mayu, who she comes to learn is homeless, and decides whether or not to tell Kouta about this as the helicopter ferrying Kurama and the wounded Nana passes overhead. Isobe and Shirakawa inform Kurama that he is to meet with Chief Kakuzawa upon landing back at the facility. Yuka finds Lucy, now reverted to Nyu, on the way home and bandages her wounds from the battle with Nana, and reconciles herself to Nyu's presence in Maple House. Kouta awaits their return and receives a call about a girl in a hospital who asked them to call his home. Thinking it could be Nyu, he finds instead that it is Mayu, but he puts aside his annoyance and asks her to eat at their home when her stomach openly rumbles in front of him. At Maple House, he finds Yuka and a delighted Nyu waiting. Mayu at first sees Nyu and panics while remembering Lucy tearing Nana apart, but quickly dismisses this memory as some form of hallucination. Delighting in the meal given her and the first bath she has had in quite some time, Mayu is joined in the bath by Nyu, while Kouta and Yuka piece together the facts of Mayu's homelessness. While an enthusiastic Nyu playfully scrubs Mayu, Kouta explains to Yuka why he doesn't call the police on Mayu and why he doesn't trust them in general, restating the events with Bando and the beach. Nyu pops out of the bath, soaking, sudsy and naked, causing Yuka to drag her back again, even saying how hard she is making it for Kouta, and offering Mayu a place to stay for the night. Mayu nervously accepts. Kurama is stunned to hear Chief Kakuzawa's order to kill Nana, reminding him of having done so in the past to other Diclonius. Kurama seems to agree, and Chief Kakuzawa angrily receives a phone call from his son, Professor Kakuzawa, asking for more research funding, and getting it when he agrees to make efforts to find Lucy. His assistant Arakawa asks about further funding for their research into an Anti-Diclonius vaccine and indicates they are close to a breakthrough. Once in private, Professor Kakuzawa delights in that Lucy has not been caught yet and vows to make her his. Shirakawa prepares to euthanize Nana, but Kurama steps in to do it himself, telling Nana not to be concerned about the injection. She shocks him as she falls asleep by offering a tearful goodbye, indicating she knows what is to happen to her, and then stops moving entirely as Kurama tearfully apologizes. Category:Series Information Category:Anime Category:Story Related Category:Article